STATEMENT ON THE EAST AFRICAN PROCUREMENT FORUM & BUSINESS EXPO 2023- State Min of Finance

22^nd December 2022

                                                                                         STATEMENT ON THE EAST AFRICAN PROCUREMENT FORUM & BUSINESS EXPO 2023

The Board Chairman, Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets (PPDA) – Mr. Julius K. Ishungisa

The Executive Director, Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets (PPDA) – Mr. Benson Turamye.

The Director General at Uganda Investment Authority – Mr. Robert Mukiza ·

CEO Fathil International Projects Ltd (FIPRO) – Mr. Moses Aibah Agaba.

Members of the Media

Ladies and Gentlemen

Good morning.

I thank you for turning up and honoring our invitation to this media briefing. Allow me to congratulate you upon making it to the tail end of the calendar year 2022, and pray that we enter 2023 successfully.

I am excited to announce that Uganda, through the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA),  will be hosting the 14^th annual East African Procurement Forum & Business Expo 2023.

The East African Procurement Forum (EAPF) is a meeting of EAC Procurement Regulatory Bodies that is convened annually since 2008 including the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA) of Uganda, The Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) of Kenya, The Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) of Tanzania, The Rwanda Public Procurement Authority, Agence de Regulation des Marches Public (ARMP) of Burundi, Agence de Regulation des Marches Public (ARMP) of DRC and the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Southern Sudan who regulates over Two hundred thousand (200,000) suppliers with a procurement market size estimated at over 100 Billion USD annually.

The annual forum attracts around 300 participants including Government officials, public procurement industry Experts, Government suppliers/Bidders, Development Partners, members of Civil Society, and procurement Training Institutions among others, in order to discuss public procurement issues and to come up with tangible resolutions impacting legal and regulatory framework of public procurement.

In addition to the EAC, other participants are drawn from other regional and international public procurement regulatory and professional organizations notably, the African Public Procurement Network, (APPN).

The main purpose of the Forum is to increase interaction and knowledge sharing and to consolidate efforts toward improving the public procurement landscape in the region.

At the 13^th EAPF held in Kigali – Rwanda held from 15^th-16^th April 2021, Uganda was given the mantle to organize and host the 14^th EAPF in Kampala.

Originally scheduled for November 2022, the Kampala Forum was pushed to March 2023 partly because of the guidance from the Ministry of Health on the Ebola Virus situation but also to secure more time to manage logistical issues.

Now that we overcome the Ebola Virus situation, I am confident to announce that the PPDA will host the 14^th East African Procurement Forum (EAPF) & Business Expo on behalf of the Government of Uganda under the theme; “Open Contracting as a vehicle for sustainable Development”.

The Forum will take place from 23^rd to 26^th March 2023 at the Kololo independence grounds in Kampala and for the first time, on the sidelines of the East Africa procurement Forum, we shall also have an East African Business Expo organized along, with a Private Public Partnership arrangement.

PPDA is therefore partnering with a private firm, Fathil International Projects Ltd (FIPRO), to organize a joint East African Procurement Forum and Business Expo.  The expo will have a business clinic designed to skill and avail opportunities to develop the suppliers.

As a government, we know that public procurement is important for the country’s economic growth. As you may be aware, Over 60% of the National Budget is spent on public procurement, we consider it to be an integral part of strategic governance.

I believe this forum and the business expo align well with the EA region’s efforts in consolidating momentum that will drive the region into socio-economic transformation, prosperity, and sustainable development. This East African Procurement Forum and Business Expo is therefore an opportunity for Uganda as a nation to share experiences and challenges with the aim of improving country procurement systems while upholding the desire of member states to harmonize the systems towards a political federation.

As the Ministry that oversees the work of PPDA, we pledge to continue playing a pivotal role in the coordination of development planning; mobilization of public resources; and ensuring effective accountability for the use of such resources for the benefit of all Ugandans.

As a government, we continue to ensure that Ugandans benefit from the East African Community integration through platforms such as these EAPF & Business Expo therefore PPDA can always count on us for our support.

I want to urge business people and companies from Uganda, and East Africa to come to the Forum and also book space for an exhibition to showcase your goods and services to key decision makers at Kololo Independence Grounds come March 23^rd, 2023. The details of how to book space for the exhibition will be provided by PPDA and their partner FIPRO.

I say this; “For God and My Country”.

Thank you!

For God and My Country.